Independent Candidate Confesses to Campaign Trail Assault
A candidate standing for election to Birmingham City Council has publicly admitted his involvement in a physical altercation during the 2022 campaign, where he punched and kicked a resident. Amer Khan, 45, from Oldbury, described the incident as occurring in the heat of the moment and insists he would never repeat such behavior.
Standing for Controversial Alliance
Khan is running for the Independent Candidate Alliance, a group overseen by the controversial duo Akhmed Yakoob and Shakeel Afsar, in the North Edgbaston ward. He is campaigning alongside fellow independent candidate Francois Xavier, aiming to take the two seats currently held by Labour.
BirminghamLive has revealed that Khan was filmed during a violent outburst while canvassing for Labour in the 2022 elections on Kenelm Road in the Small Heath ward. At the time, he was among supporters advocating for Labour's Saqib Khan, accompanied by Labour councillor Mohammed Idrees, who was standing in Alum Rock.
Escalation from Verbal Abuse to Violence
The group alleges they faced verbal abuse from a householder while delivering leaflets and canvassing for votes. What began as a shouting match quickly escalated into a brawl, with Amer Khan at the center. In the video, he is seen wearing a blue t-shirt, punching and kicking a man who was also attacked by another individual.
West Midlands Police confirmed they investigated the incident but did not receive a formal complaint from any involved parties. According to Amer Khan, no further action was taken.
Khan's Statement on the Incident
Today, Amer Khan commented on the event, stating, "At election times these things happen. It's such a long time ago I can't specifically remember what happened. There was a row and the man was swearing at us, he was shouting for maybe 10 minutes, and it started from there."
He added, "It was a one off thing, it was not acceptable behaviour. We are human beings and we make mistakes and we move on. There was a lot of swearing and then the brawl broke out, it was in the heat of the moment." Khan emphasized that he does not condone violence.
Background and Political Context
Khan, a former sub post office master who now oversees a housing company, is one of 19 candidates declared as part of the Independent Candidate Alliance promoted by solicitor Akhmed Yakoob and property developer Shakeel Afsar. In a recent interview, Khan claimed he is running for council due to anger over the city's state and a desire to improve communities.
Also standing under the Yakoob/Afsar umbrella is Mohammed Idrees, now an Independent candidate for Bordesley and Highgate ward, who witnessed the brawl. Idrees was seen trying to calm those involved and was defended at the time by then Labour leader Ian Ward. The Labour party pledged to investigate, but the outcome remains unknown.
Other Candidates in the Alliance
The Independent Candidate Alliance includes several other disgruntled former Labour councillors, such as Rinkal Shergill from Holyhead and Chaman Lal from Handsworth, a former Lord Mayor. Shahid Butt, who was previously convicted and jailed for terror offences in Yemen but denies wrongdoing, is also on their slate, standing in Sparkhill.
Other Independent candidates under the ICA umbrella are:
- Ladywood: Deborah Maragh and Gary Cressman
- Newtown: Amjad Hussain
- Nechells: Mansuur Ahmed
- Balsall Heath West: Raja Amin
- Bordesley and Highgate: Mohammed Idrees
- Sparkhill: Belal Arabi, Shahid Butt
- Sparkbrook: Adam Mirza, Raihaan Abbas
- Perry Barr: Asim Khan
- Holyhead: Rinkal Shergill
- Handsworth: Chaman Lal
- Birchfield: Mohammed Yaseen
- Perry Common: Ahmed Gulam
- Gravelly Hill: Asif Mehmood
- Shard End: Liam Smyth
Condemnation of Election Intimidation
Councillors from all parties have condemned intimidation and abuse targeting candidates and voters on the election trail. During a debate at the last full council meeting ahead of the elections on May 7, they united to demand strict enforcement of electoral rules and for party and group leaders to condemn and act against anyone responsible for violence.
